SHARK - National marine environmental monitoring of Phytoplankton in Sweden since 1983

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The national monitoring program was initiated by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and is now financed by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. Monitoring is performed by Stockholm University, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Gothenburg University and Umeå University.

Data are stored in the Swedish Ocean Archive database (SHARK), by the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute. Data should be sampled and analyzed according to the HELCOM Guidelines for monitoring of phytoplankton species composition, abundance and biomass (https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/HELCOM-Guidelines-for-monitoring-of-phytoplankton-species-composition-abundance-and-biomass.pdf). However, deviations from the manual might occur. Information about the program and the methods are available in Swedish at the website of Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, https://www.havochvatten.se/vagledning-foreskrifter-och-lagar/vagledningar/ovriga-vagledningar/undersokningstyper-for-miljoovervakning/undersokningstyper/vaxtplankton.html.

"In short, analysis of phytoplankton species composition, abundance and biomass is carried out for the following purposes • to describe temporal trends in phytoplankton species composition, phytoplankton abundance, biomass as well as the intensity and occurrence of blooms • to describe the spatial distribution of phytoplankton species • to identify key phytoplankton species (e.g. dominating, harmful, potential non-indigenous and/or invasive species, as well as indicator species) • to provide basic data for complex ecosystem analyses, food web studies, modelling as well as political and social requirements such as indicators in the frame of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive of the European Union (MSFD; European Union 2008) and the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD; European Union 2000)” (https://helcom.fi/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/HELCOM-Guidelines-for-monitoring-of-phytoplankton-species-composition-abundance-and-biomass.pdf)

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